Rivet Feeding System

ABSTRACT

A rivet feeding system having a hopper, an inclined rail, and a fastening assembly is disclosed. The hopper accommodates a plurality of rivets, each having a head and a tail, in a barrel rotatably mounted to a stationary back. The hopper permits a single rivet to exit the hopper at a time and the exiting rivets are received by the inclined rail. The inclined rail has a channel defined by two sidewalls and the channel is sized to accommodate the rivet tail and the two sidewalls are positioned to support the rivet head. The inclined rail is positioned to receive rivets in a first orientation and to deliver rivets to the fastening assembly in a second orientation that is distinct from the first orientation. The fastening assembly includes a stationary anvil positioned below a moveable punch and a pair of pivotable jaws positioned between the anvil and the moveable punch.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to systems and devices for feeding rivets. In particular, the disclosed systems are capable of automatically feeding rivets into a desired position for fastening to eliminate the need to manually insert and position rivets individually. The presently disclosed systems can avoid the time-consuming and repetitive actions of individualized rivet positioning to improve speed, productivity, and safety for riveting operations.

BACKGROUND

Rivets are mechanical fasteners. Before installation, a rivet includes a cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite the head is often referred to as the ‘tail’ of the rivet. During installation, the tail of the rivet is deformed such that it expands beyond the diameter of the shaft and effectively forms a second head, which is sometimes referred to as a ‘buck-tail’. After installation, rivets are capable of supporting tension loads (loads parallel to the axis of the rivet) as well as shear loads (loads perpendicular to the axis of the rivet).

SUMMARY

Systems and devices for automatically feeding rivets are disclosed herein. The disclosed rivet feeding systems include a hopper configured to contain a plurality of rivets, each having equal or approximately equal dimensions. The hopper permits only a single rivet at a time to exit and each exiting rivet is deposited into a feeding assembly that stores the rivets in an orderly manner. Specifically, the feeding assembly includes an inclined rail with a channel sized to accommodate a rivet tail while supporting a rivet head. The inclined rail allows the rivets to be arranged into a single-file line and to slide down the rail aided only by the force of gravity, in some embodiments. The inclined rail ultimately delivers individual rivets into position for fastening. In embodiments in which a stationary anvil and a moveable punch are used to fasten the rivets to a desired article, the rivets can, one-by-one, be deposited between two pivoting jaws positioned vertically between the punch and anvil. The two pivoting jaws are spaced sufficiently apart from one another to accommodate the tail of the rivet but close enough so that the jaws can support the head of the rivet. When the rivet is ready for fastening, the punch moves toward the anvil, compressing the rivet and deforming it around the article(s) being fastened. During compression of the rivet, the pivoting jaws pivot away from the rivet and then return to their original position to support a new rivet.

Manufacturing containers with brackets via rivet application had long been a tedious application. Manually operated stationary machines have been developed for riveting onto flat surfaces or containers with shallow walls. However, containers with sidewalls greater than a couple of inches create clearance problems for many riveting machines. Frequently, when riveting batches of product, the user must place an opening over the anvil by hand, set a bracket in place, position a rivet, compress the rivet, and then position another opening over the anvil for the next rivet application. A need thus exists for a machine that can more efficiently place rivets into position for fastening.

The disclosed rivet feeding systems present numerous benefits over previously known riveting devices. For example, the disclosed systems can easily order rivets into a single-file arrangement and automatically provide an individual rivet into place for fastening. This eliminates the tedious action of manually selecting and placing each rivet into position for fastening and also eliminates any safety concerns associated with placing a rivet between an anvil and punch by hand. The disclosed rivet feeding systems and devices can be used in connection with various types of articles that use one or more rivet fasteners. For example, in select embodiments, the disclosed rivet feeding machines can be used to attach various holders or other features onto a sterilization tray used for surgical instruments.

The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been selected principally for readability and instructional purposes and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary rivet feeding system configured in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of an exemplary hopper of a rivet feeding system configured in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3C illustrate perspective views of an exemplary inclined rail of a rivet feeding system configured in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example configuration of an inclined rail, a singulation device, and a fastening assembly, configured in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate perspective views of an exemplary singulation device configured in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example fastening assembly configured in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

FIG. 7A shows an exploded view of exemplary pivoting jaws of a fastening assembly configured in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

FIG. 7B shows a perspective view of the exemplary pivoting jaws illustrated in FIG. 7A supporting a rivet, in accordance with some embodiments of the subject disclosure.

As will be appreciated, the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale or intended to limit the disclosure to the specific configurations shown. For instance, while some figures generally indicate straight lines, right angles, and smooth surfaces, an actual implementation of the disclosed devices may have less than perfect straight lines, right angles, and smooth surfaces.

In other words, the figures are provided merely to show some possible example structures. Additionally, for purposes of clarity, not every component may be labelled in every figure. These and other features of the present embodiments will be understood better by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the figures herein described. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An example rivet feeding system 100 configured in accordance with the subject disclosure is shown in FIG. 1. The disclosed rivet feeding system 100 include a hopper 20 that contains a plurality of rivets 10. When the hopper 20 is manually turned by a user, the rivets stored inside the hopper jostle about and a single rivet at a time exits the hopper 20 and is deposited onto an inclined rail 30. The inclined rail 30 stores the rivets in a single-file line and permits the rivets to slide down the inclined rail 30. After sliding down the inclined rail 30, the rivets are placed one-by-one, via automation in some embodiments, into position for fastening. In some embodiments, a singulation device 40, as shown in FIG. 1, is used to individually place rivets into position for fastening by a fastening assembly 50. Specifics of the components of the presently disclosed rivet feeding system 100 are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs.

An exploded view of example hopper 20 is shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, hopper 20 includes a rotating barrel 22 mounted to a stationary back 24. Together, the stationary back 24 and rotating barrel 22 of the hopper 20 store and retain the plurality of rivets. The barrel 22 includes a plurality of notches 28 formed around its rim 26. The plurality of notches are each sized to allow the tail of a single rivet to pass through. The barrel 22 is spaced away from the stationary back 24 with sufficient clearance to permit a single rivet head to pass between the rim 26 of the barrel 22 and the stationary back 24. Thus, when the barrel 22 is rotated on the stationary back 24, the rivets inside tumble and a head of a single rivet passes between the rim 26 and the stationary back 24 and the tail of that rivet can travel through a notch 28 in the rim 26. In this way, rivets exiting the hopper each have the same orientation. One or more rivets can exit the hopper during a single cycling of the hopper barrel 22, in some embodiments.

Various types of features can be used in connection with the disclosed hopper 20. For example, in some embodiments, the disclosed hopper 20 can be equipped with vibratory features to facilitate orientation of the rivets. Additionally, in these and other embodiments, rotation of the barrel 22 may be automated or performed manually by a user. The disclosed rivet feeding system 100 can, in some embodiments, be used to dispense rivets of uniform or approximately uniform size and shape (i.e., rivets having equal or approximately equal dimensions). Thus, the dimensions of hopper 20 can be selected based on the desired rivet dimensions.

Any desired size and style of rivet may be used in connection with the disclosed rivet feeding system 100. For example, tubular rivets, semi-tubular rivets, or solid rivets may be used in some embodiments. In contrast to solid rivets, semi-tubular or tubular rivets include a shallow hole in the tail, forming a tubular portion in the rivet. This hole causes the tubular portion of the rivet to roll outward when force is applied, thus reducing the amount of force needed for installation. The rivets used in connection with the disclosed feeding system 100 may have any desired size. Rivets are usually sized according to their diameter and maximum grip length. In some embodiments, the rivets used in connection with the presently disclosed feeding system 100 may have a diameter of greater than, less than, or equal to ⅛ of an inch. In these and other embodiments, the rivets may have a maximum grip length of ¼ in., 7/16 in., ½ in., ⅝ in., 11/16 in., 1 and 9/16 in., 2 and ½ in., and/or 3 and 1/16 inches. In some embodiments, the rivets may have a diameter that is greater than or equal to the rivet's maximum grip length.

After the rivets exit the hopper 20, they are deposited into a feeding assembly that stores the rivets in an orderly manner. Specifically, the feeding assembly includes an inclined rail 30 with a channel 32 sized to accommodate a rivet tail while supporting a rivet head. An example inclined rail 30 is shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate alternate views of the same exemplary inclined rail 30. As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the inclined rail includes a first end 32 positioned to receive rivets from the hopper 20 and a second end 34 positioned to deposit the rivets (either directly or indirectly) into position for fastening. When the rivet feeding system 100 is assembled, the first end 32 of inclined rail 34 is positioned above the second end of inclined rail 30 so that gravity can transport the retained rivets from the first end 32 to the second end 34.

The inclined rail 30 inclines a channel 36 defined by two sidewalls. The channel 36 is sized to permit a rivet tall to pass through and the sidewalls are positioned close enough to support a rivet head. In some embodiments, the sidewalls are spaced to provide channel 36 with a width of at least 0.1, 0.2, or 0.3 inches. In select embodiments, the channel 36 may have a width of 0.31 or 0.34 inches. The sidewalls of channel 36 may have any desired thickness, for example, in some embodiments, the sidewalls are at least 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, or 0.08 inches thick and, in select embodiments, the sidewalls have a thickness 0.08 or 0.09 inches. As will be appreciated, the dimensions of channel 36 and its sidewalls can be selected based on the size of the rivets to be retained and transported.

In some embodiments, the sidewalls of channel 36 are shaped to provide a channel 36 having a T-shaped cross-section, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. In some such embodiments, the T-shaped channel 36 has a first width and a second width, with the first width being positioned closer to the channel 36 opening than the second width, and the first width of the channel 36 being less than the second width of the channel 36. The dimensions of channel 36 may, in some embodiments, correlate with the dimensions of the rivets used in the feeding system 100. Thus, the channel 36 may be sized to accommodate rivets of any size identified herein.

As shown in FIGS. 3A-3C channel 36 may, in some embodiments, include an upper surface to contact the rivet heads during transport. This may be important for embodiments in which the orientation of the rivets is adjusted during transport down the inclined rail. As shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C, a rivet may enter the inclined rail 30 in a horizontal orientation (with its tail and head positioned along a horizontal axis) at the first end 32 of the inclined rail 30 and the rivet may exit the inclined rail 30 at the second end 34 in a vertical orientation (with its tail and head positioned along a vertical axis, or an axis perpendicular to the axis of entry onto the inclined rail 30). As will be appreciated upon consideration of the subject disclosure and FIGS. 3A-3C, the presently disclosed inclined rail 30 may, in some embodiments, permit the rivets to be arranged in a single-file line and to slide down the rail 30 aided only by the force of gravity, in some embodiments. Furthermore, the curvature and configuration of the inclined rail 30 may allow rivets to be received in a first orientation from the hopper 20 (for example, in a horizontal orientation) and may allow the rivets to exit the inclined rail into a fastening assembly in a second orientation (for example, a vertical orientation) that is distinct from the first orientation.

The inclined rail 30 ultimately directly or indirectly delivers individual rivets into position for fastening. In some embodiments, a singulation device may be used to transfer a rivet from the inclined rail 30 into position for fastening. FIG. 4 illustrates an example inclined rail 30 attached to a singulation device 40. Detailed views of this or another example singulation device 40 are shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In some embodiments, the singulation device 40 may include a pneumatic cylinder 42 (shown in FIG. 5A) that actuates two underlying metal plates 44 a, 44 b (shown in FIG. 5B) to move one rivet at a time into position for fastening. As shown in FIG. 5B, the metal plates 44 a, 44 b may, in some embodiments, be sized and shaped to securely retain a rivet tail when the plates 44 a, 44 b are moved together.

After making its way down the inclined rail 30 and through singulation device 40, if present, each rivet is placed into position for fastening in what is referred to herein as a ‘fastening assembly.’ The fastening assembly can be configured in any desired manner. For example, in some embodiments, a stationary anvil and a moveable punch may be used to fasten the rivets to the desired article. Such an exemplary fastening assembly 50 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the rivets are deformed by a stationary anvil 52 positioned directly beneath a movable punch 54. As will be appreciated, the moveable punch 54 is moveable in a vertical direction and is positioned to deform a rivet on the underlying anvil 52. Any suitable mechanics can be used to control movement of the punch 54 relative to the anvil 52 and the downward force required to deform the rivet tail may be created by any suitable technique. For example, in some embodiments, a motor and flywheel combination may be used, whereas, in other embodiments, a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder may be used. If desired, movement of the punch 54 may be controlled by a foot pedal or hand lever, as appropriate. In select embodiments, a riveting machine platform, such as a Haeger 824 or 618 model may be used to control movement of the punch 54 relative to the anvil 52. Any suitable type of rivet punch and anvil holder may be used in connection with the disclosed fastening assembly 50.

If desired, the fastening assembly may include two pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b positioned between the anvil 52 and punch 54. FIGS. 7A and 7B show an example set of pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b. FIG. 7A shows an exploded view of the pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b and FIG. 7B shows the pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b fully assembled and supporting an example rivet 60. As will be appreciated upon consideration of the subject disclosure, the two pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b may support a rivet before and during fastening by retaining the rivet head while allowing the rivet tail to be deformed around the article(s) to be fastened, as shown in FIG. 7B. The two pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b thus may be spaced sufficiently apart from one another to accommodate the tail of the rivet 60 but close enough so that the jaws 56 a, 56 b can support the head of the rivet 60. In some embodiments, the two pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b may be spaced a distance of at least 0.05, 0.075, or 0.1 inches apart. In select embodiments, the two pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b may be spaced 0.13 inches apart.

In some embodiments, pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b may each include a recessed region 58 a and 58 b, respectively, as shown in FIG. 7A. If present, the recessed regions 58 a, 58 b may, in combination, form a circular pocket to retain a rivet (as illustrated with rivet 60 in FIG. 7B). The presently disclosed pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b are distinct from previously known configurations. For example, previously known fastening assemblies are configured to axially receive a rivet (i.e., to vertically drop each rivet onto the fastening assembly). In these types of prior art fastening assemblies, the rivet head rests on top of the jaws, rather than in recessed regions 58 a, 58 b. Furthermore, the presently disclosed singulation device 40 is configured to deliver rivets to the pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b via an angular path (e.g., with the rivets travelling simultaneously in both a horizontal and a vertical direction). Thus, positioning the pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b sufficiently far apart to permit the rivet tail to pass between both pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b enables this new angular (as opposed to purely axial) rivet path employed by the presently disclosed singulation device 40 and fastening assembly 50.

In addition to other advantages previously discussed, the presently disclosed rivet feeding system 100 can, in some embodiments, adequately accommodate rivets having a larger diameter than length (i.e., a rivet having a tail that is shorter than its head). Previously known riveting machines were not able to effectively arrange rivets having a larger diameter than length because these types of rivets easily rotate in the pressurized tubing that is customarily used to transport the rivets into position for fastening. In addition to undesirable rotation, previous riveting machines can also jam when used with rivets having a larger diameter than length. However, as will be appreciated upon consideration of the subject disclosure, the presently disclosed rivet feeding systems 100 can effectively position all types of rivets, even rivets that have a larger head than tail. For example, the rivet feeding system 100 allows the rivets to slide down an inclined rail 30 while maintaining their order and then individually feeds the rivets to the fastening assembly 50 using the singulation device 40, which positions the rivets into the pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b from the back, opposite the operator, as opposed to being fed axially via a pressurized tube.

As will be appreciated, pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b may be spring-loaded to facilitate returning to a horizontal support position after being pivoted downward during rivet fastening. Exemplary spring-loaded components are illustrated in FIG. 7A. When the rivet is ready for fastening, the punch moves toward the anvil, compressing the rivet and deforming it around the article being riveted. During compression of the rivet, the pivoting jaws 56 a, 56 b pivot away from the rivet and then return to their original position to support a new rivet, aided by spring-loaded features.

The disclosed rivet feeding systems present numerous benefits over previously known riveting devices. For example, the disclosed systems can easily order rivets into a single-file arrangement and automatically provide an individual rivet into place for fastening. This eliminates the tedious and dangerous action of manually selecting and placing each rivet in position for fastening. The disclosed rivet feeding systems and devices can be used in connection with various types of articles that require one or more rivet fasteners. For example, in select embodiments, the automatic riveting machines are used to attach various holders or other features onto a sterilization tray used for surgical instruments.

The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and, in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specification has been selected principally for readability and instructional purposes, and not to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The foregoing description of the embodiments of the disclosure has been presented for the purpose of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the claims to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can appreciate that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure. What is claimed is: 

1. A rivet feeding system comprising: a hopper configured to accommodate a plurality of rivets, each rivet having a head and a tail, wherein the hopper includes a barrel rotatably mounted to a stationary back, the barrel includes a plurality of notches formed around a rim, and the rim is spaced a distance apart from the stationary back to permit a single rivet to exit the hopper at a time by the rivet tail passing through a notch in the barrel and the rivet head passing between the rim of the barrel and the stationary back; an inclined rail positioned to receive a rivet exiting the hopper, the inclined rail having a channel defined by two sidewalls, wherein the channel is sized to accommodate the rivet tail and the two sidewalls are positioned to support the rivet head; and a fastening assembly comprising a stationary anvil positioned below a moveable punch and a pair of pivotable jaws positioned between the anvil and the moveable punch, wherein the inclined rail includes a first end positioned to receive rivets from the hopper and a second end positioned to deliver rivets to the fastening assembly, and wherein the inclined rail is positioned to receive rivets at the first end in a first orientation and to deliver rivets to the fastening assembly in a second orientation that is distinct from the first orientation.
 2. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, wherein the first end of the inclined rail is positioned above the second end of the inclined rail and rivets are transported from the first end of the inclined rail to the second end of the inclined rail by gravity alone.
 3. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, wherein the channel of the inclined rail includes an upper surface positioned to contact the rivet heads retained therein.
 4. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, wherein the first orientation of the rivets received by the inclined rail is a horizontal orientation and the second orientation of the rivets delivered to the fastening assembly is a vertical orientation.
 5. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, wherein the two pivotable jaws each have a recessed region sized to support a rivet head.
 6. The rivet feeding system of claim 5, wherein the recessed regions of the two pivotable jaws form a circular pocket for the rivet head.
 7. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, wherein the two pivotable jaws are each spring-loaded.
 8. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to feed tubular rivets, semi-tubular rivets, or solid rivets.
 9. The rivet feeding system of claim 8, wherein the system is configured to feed rivets having a diameter of ⅛ inches.
 10. The rivet feeding system of claim 9, wherein the system configured to feed rivets having a maximum grip length of less than ⅛ inches.
 11. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, further comprising a singulation device configured to receive rivets from the second end of the inclined rail and to transport the rivets to the fastening assembly.
 12. The rivet feeding system of claim 11, wherein the singulation device is operated by a pneumatic cylinder.
 13. The rivet feeding system of claim 1, wherein the channel has a T-shaped cross-section.
 14. The rivet feeding system of claim 13, wherein the channel has a first width and a second width, the first width is positioned closer to an opening of the channel than the second width, and the first width of the channel is less than the second width of the channel. 